EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The 17th-ranked University of Southern Indiana men's basketball team closed out the 2005-06 regular season campaign with a victory, defeating the University of Missouri-St. Louis, 80-52, at the Physical Activities Center Saturday afternoon. USI reaches the 25-win plateau for the fourth consecutive season and finishes regular season play 25-5 overall and 14-5 in the GLVC.

USI's win on Saturday also gives the Screaming Eagles a share of the GLVC West Division title, but due to tiebreakers will be the number four seed in the league tournament next week. The Eagles will play Saint Joseph's College, the East Division champion, in the first round on March 3. Game time is still to be announced.

Chris Thompson

The regular season finale was close for the first four-and-a-half minutes before USI went on an 8-2 run to take control, 13-7, with 13:20 to play before the intermission. By time the teams went to the locker room, the Eagles had extended the lead to 19 points, 40-21, and had a 40-23 lead at the break.

The second half was much of the same as the Eagles outscored the Rivermen, 40-29, and closed out the game, 80-52.

USI senior forward Chris Thompson (Starke, Florida) closed out his USI career at the PAC by recording his 15th double-double of the year, 28 points and 15 rebounds. The 15 boards tied a career-best for Thompson.

Geoff Van Winkle

He was followed in the scoring by junior forward Geoff Van Winkle (Ferdinand, Indiana). Van Winkle hit for 14 points, including four three-point field goals, and became the second USI player in the history of the program to sink more than 200 three-points field goals in a career. He has 201 over three seasons and needs 36 more to catch Cris Brunson's all-time record of 237.